Program Evaluations

The Social Science Research Center also offers a rich expertise in program evaluation. Offering experienced, multidisciplinary perspectives as an externalevaluator, we have conducted evaluations of various scope. The project examples below describe external program evaluations for local, state, and federal agencies. Additionally, the SSRC has become a leading resource for community and university professionals in the area of program evaluation and evaluation design. The SSRC also assists with the completion of proposal and budget narrative(s) pertaining to evaluation sections/plans for those projects that we are involved. Below is a list of some of the more recent successfully-funded proposals for which we provide(d) the program evaluation:

Evaluation of Ball State University's Partnership with Kandahar University (Afghanistan) (2010-2012)

Working with the Rinker Center for International Programs, the SSRC provided the evaluation component for this U.S. Department of State funded project. This $1 million-dollar, multi-disciplinary collaborative project establishes a Career Center and English language training program at Kandahar University, Afghanistan over a two-year period.

Evaluation of University Linkages Project, Ball State University and Tikrit University, Iraq (2011-2012)

In this multi-disciplinary collaboration with the Rinker Center for International Programs, the SSRC works with the Departments of Computer Science, Accounting, and the Intensive English Institute at Ball State to provide the external evaluation component of this project, funded through FHI 360 (a global development organization).

Evaluation of Study of the United States Institute for Student Leaders on New Media and Journalism (2011-2013)

The SSRC is providing the evaluation of this project in collaboration with the Department of Journalism at Ball State. Funded through the U.S. Department of State, this project brings students from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines to Ball State to study new media and journalism with faculty from this nationally-recognized program.

Evaluation of Consulting Services for the English Language Institute, Higher Committee for Education Development, Republic of Iraq (2011-2013)

This U.S. State Department-funded project aims to shorten the length of time that scholarship recipients from Iraq spend in English as a Second Language courses in the United States. The SSRC works with the Rinker Center for International Development and the Intensive English Institute at Ball State to provide the external evaluation for these services.

Evaluation of the Soccer for Peace and Understanding Project, Jordan (2011-2013)

Working with the School of Physical Education and the Department of Psychology and Guidance Services at Ball State, the SSRC is providing the evaluation component for this project that aims to train youth soccer coaches how to teach peaceful living skills through the game of soccer to their youth.

Evaluation of University Partnership Between Ball State University and Shaikh Zayed University, Afghanistan (2011-2014)

The SSRC is working with the Department of Journalism at Ball State to provide an external evaluation of services to Shaikh Zayed University in the Khost Province, Afghanistan. Specifically, this project offers targeted workshops and courses, lectures and presentations on DVD, access to an online certificate program in emerging media journalism, English language tutoring, faculty mentoring, curriculum evaluation and suggested revisions, and course material translation.

The SSRC worked with the local social services organization, the Youth Opportunity Center (YOC), and conducted an external audit of current outcome initiatives and measures. Results from the subsequent analyses allowed for recommendataions to be made for improvement, and summary reports of these findings were shared with YOC staff. The audit consisted of inventorying all all current data collection and reporting initiatives, reviewing data collection methods and software, meeting with program presonnel to determine best practices and reporting requirements, and making relevant recommendations to management staff.

Evaluation of Career Ladder Bridge Pilot Program, Ball State University and Miller's Health Systems (2010)

Working with the School of Nursing at Ball State, the SSRC prepared instrumentation, and provided analyses to determine the effectiveness of a piloted Career Ladder Bridge Program between Ball State and Miller's Health Systems. This funded program through the Indiana Department of Workforce Development allowed LPN/CNA's to pursue their Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing, while on-the-job at Miller's.

With Dr. David Perkins of the Department of Psychological Science at Ball State, the SSRC was responsible for preparing regular summary reports to provide outcome evaluation information to over 30 mental health centers in this statewide evaluation project. These evaluation activities assisted agencies in maininting compliance with the Commission for the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Orgranizations standars. These reports also helped identify and maintain best practice approaches to service delivery, and drive the development of services in Indiana.

This was a two-year project for the SSRC, working in conjunction with Ball State's Center for Organizational Resources (now a part of Ball State's Building Better Communities), that provided an external evaluation of information technology training programs for dislocated workers. This federally-funded project assisted people with re-entering the workforce at salaries comparable to those earned at the time of dislocation.

Evaluation Component for the Indiana Center on Early Childhood Development (2000-2003)

The SSRC was responsible for evaluating the Indiana Center on Early Childhood Development (established in 2000, and funded by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (IFSSA) and others). The SSRC prepared regular reports, conducted a mail-out survey, and monitored the program fidelity across this two-year period.